Latham West Makes Bonney Lake History with Double State Title

There are great athletes. And then there are athletes who do something so extraordinary that even they can't believe it happened.

Bonney Lake senior Latham West is the second kind.

In a single weekend at the WIAA 4A State Track and Field Championships, West swept the 1600 and 3200 meter runs, posting the fastest times out of all the heats in both events, and cemented her legacy as one of the most decorated distance runners in Bonney Lake High School history. She then raced home, got her hair done, put on her prom dress, and made it to the dance by 10 p.m.

Two state titles. One weekend. One last dance.

The 1600: Four Years in the Making

West has been one of the top distance runners in Washington state since her freshman year, but a 4A state title in the mile had always been the dream she was chasing. On Thursday, she finally caught it.

"Never in my wildest dreams did I expect the race to go that smoothly and run a 4:48 mile," West said.

The race plan was simple. Go with the pack for the first lap, then take off. What followed was anything but routine.

"When the gun rang off, I immediately had to dodge elbows and establish myself behind the front runners," she said. "I reminded myself to remain relaxed and be patient before I make my first move."

Patient she was, until she wasn't. West surged past the front runners after the first lap and never looked back, accelerating through the turns, obsessing over form and breathing, refusing to look behind her. By the final lap, the paranoia kicked in.

"I was extremely paranoid that someone would eventually pass me, so I moved my legs as fast as possible," she said. "As I rounded the last turn, I did one glance back and saw runners about 10 meters back."

She held them off. She crossed the line. The clock read 4:48.

"I couldn't grasp that the dream I had been chasing for four years had finally been achieved, walking toward the fence to tearfully embrace my coach and parents," West said. "It was when I was able to physically hold the medal that it finally sunk in."

Running for Someone Else

Woven into the fabric of West's championship run was something deeper than a race plan or a PR. At the finish line, she wore a bracelet honoring Ben Celver, a former Bonney Lake wrestling coach who passed away last year and meant the world to her.

"Ben Celver was such an integral part of my life, and his passing last year had destroyed me," West said. "He was like a second father to me, so when I carry that bracelet, I am carrying his legacy and his memories with me."

Celver had been one of her loudest believers, always in her corner through tough losses and hard days.

"He would always tell me to be confident in who I am and what I can do," she said. "He taught me that to lose was to learn, and I applied that to my running as well."

Winning state for Celver had been a goal she carried quietly all season.

"I wanted to win state for Celver, and even if I wasn't able to do it in wrestling, I wanted to be able to do it in my running," West said. "When I crossed the line, I thought of how proud he would be of me, wishing he could be here to share this moment. He had always loved that I ran, and I knew he would have given me the biggest hug and said 'I'm proud of you kiddo.'"

The 3200: Proving It Wasn't a Fluke

If Thursday was the dream, Saturday was the statement.

West entered the 3200 as the heavy favorite, riding the confidence of her 1600 title. But she had unfinished business with this race. Her previous 3200 PR was a 10:26, a time she hadn't been able to improve since her sophomore year. She wanted under 10:20.

"I knew that the race would be more about obtaining a certain time than anything," she said.

She went out with purpose, immediately establishing the lead, methodically hitting the splits her coach had mapped out for her. By the third lap, she had pulled away from the field so decisively that the race became a battle against the clock.

"At about the third lap I formed an immense gap between myself and the rest of the field, crossing the mile mark at about 5:07," West said. "I knew this was a good split and I was surprised by how good I felt."

Good enough that she kept pushing. Good enough that when the bell rang for the final lap, she had enough left to sprint.

"As I rounded the final corner, I took in the sights of the crowd and the sounds of the cheering," she said. "That final straight had an electric atmosphere."

She crossed in 10:18, an eight-second PR. Another gold medal. Another state title.

"I was so excited that I wasn't able to feel exhaustion as I ran over to my parents and coach," West said. "I had run that race alone, and to be able to drop so much time just meant so much to me since it was a true testament of the effort I had put in for this very day."

The Mindset Shift That Changed Everything

What made this year different wasn't just fitness. It was freedom.

West will be the first to tell you that the three years before this one had been mentally exhausting. She had placed too much weight on times and results, and it was slowly killing her love for the sport.

"It wasn't sustainable for my mental health, and it was making me hate the sport," she said. "I wanted to change that this year since it would be my last time in high school competitions."

So she did. She made a conscious decision to run with joy instead of pressure. She cracked jokes at practice. She engaged with her teammates rather than isolating in her own head. She learned to separate her identity from her performance.

"I began to love the sport again, which improved my performance more than training ever could," West said. "I would find myself smiling in races and in practices, no longer being on the verge of tears before races."

The results speak for themselves.

Prom, and a Moment to Breathe

With two state titles in hand, West had one more thing on her Saturday agenda: senior prom.

There wasn't much time to celebrate. She took photos, did a cool-down with her competitors, a group of seniors who spent those final laps reflecting on the end of their high school running careers, and got in the car.

"As I stepped into my car, I took one last look at the stadium and was appreciative of all of the amazing memories I was able to form, not only this weekend, but throughout my high school career," she said.

The drive back. Hair and makeup. The dress. She didn't make it to the dance until 10 p.m., nearly two hours after it started, but nobody seemed to care.

"When I arrived at the dance everyone was so kind," West said. "They congratulated my achievement and seemed just as excited as I was about finally being able to obtain my goals. High fives and hugs were shared throughout the night, and it was a memory that I will carry with me for the rest of my life."

What Comes Next

Last July, West committed to the University of Portland on a full scholarship to run Division I distance. It is a destination that still feels surreal to her, because it almost never happened.

West didn't start running until her freshman year of high school. Soccer was the plan. Running was an experiment, inspired in part by watching her younger sister find success on the course.

"Never would I have imagined that I could establish myself as a state champion and nationally-ranked runner," she said. "I believe that it speaks volumes about the time and effort it took for me to reach this point in my athletic career, having to build myself from the bottom up."

She leaves Bonney Lake as a two-time state track champion, a three-time cross country state competitor, and a three-sport athlete who gave everything she had to the Panthers across four years. Wherever the finish line is, Latham West has a way of getting there first.

"It's so surreal that I can fund my education doing something I love," she said. "This high school has done a lot for me, and although I'm sad I'm leaving it behind, I'm enthusiastic about what lies ahead for me. I think I'll thrive at the University of Portland."

We think so too, Latham.

Congratulations, and Go Panthers.